I understand that Rich instructed his team to do this as a motivational ploy. But think about it, it probably wouldn't have taken very much for it to turn into a fight with all those UGA players rushing the endzone. A Gator could have accidentally got caught up and knocked down or even shoved down by an exhuberant UGA player and with so many of the UGA players out there it could have caused the UF players to rush the scene. I think the SEC commish should fine Richt and make some sort of statement about it.
I agree TOK.....it was authorized taunting and complete flaunting of the rules. Aboslutely bush imho...
I agree. And, when I saw that "celebratory taunt" I thought about an article I read last week ..... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/technology/technology.html?in_article_id=489653&in_page_id=1965 .... and realized Richt, his staff, and the UGa team have already proven this to be true. :wink:
The funny thing to me about this is what happened against Vandy not so long ago. I thought it was a class act by Richt to make his players quit celebrating at midfield after the win. He was visibly angered by their celebration and seeming disrespect of Vanderbilt. Then to encourage this behavior against Florida seems a bit hyprocritical to say the least. I guess he thought his players shouldn't be so excited about barely beating Vandy but they should be about scoring a TD against Florida??? Who knows? Not exactly the best display of sportsmanship.
re: "...underclass of dim-witted, ugly goblin-like creatures" Have you ever been to San Francisco? As I watched Georgia's planned, unsportsman-like celebration, I had a few thoughts: 1. This never happens in baseball. The "Pitcher's Union" won't allow it. 2. As I once told an assistant coach, "If you start the young kids fighting, who's going to stop it?" I was glad that Florida held its temper. This could have been a tragedy...
:lol: Interesting that two intellectual giants of our time each issue their letter of apology on the same day: Andrew "taser boy" Meyer ...... and Mark "I'm nothing more than another Bobby Bowden" Richt http://www.gainesvillesun.com/article/20071030/NEWS/710300319/1007/NEWS http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news?slug=ap-t25-richt-apology&prov=ap&type=lgns Yep, mankind has already evolved into at least two seperate and distinct species.
They always say that it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission when you really want to do something that you know you shouldn't do...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=C7X8aoBaqDQ I'm not going to say I agree with what Richt did, but 10 years from now it may be looked at as a great coaching call that help turn the series? We'll see. There's one thing to be said, It's a first. No other team can pull that off. In a way UGA one upped them. Maybe the series becomes interesting again. Florida has forgotten who their top rival is. This was a call out, "Hey guys, do you remember us"?
Terry. I suggested on a UGA bb that I was surprised it didn't cause a brawl. I wasn't agreed with but your point is noted.
"....as a great coaching call that help turn the series? We'll see." This year Georgia was coming off a bye before the game and facing almost a one-armed Qb. Granted the UF defense wasn't very good but next year UF hopes to have a healthy Tebow and Georgia plays three very tough SEC games immediately before the Fla game including LSU. If the Dawgs win next year maybe they are on to something.
interesting followup <r>I actually agree with what Richt did here. <br/> <br/> Part of the critique of Richt is that he is just so 'blah' about everything. The images of him chucking his players off the Vandy V sits well with all of us here, but it CAN also be construed as one more piece of evidence that Richt is a guy you can't play for with emotion....or fire.<br/> <br/> I agreed with him tossing their ass off the Vandy V. I thought that was the class move.<br/> <br/> I also listened to a weeks worth of Southern media laughing about the world's largest outdoor cocktail party and how Florida owned this series now. Georgia was just dead in this series coming into it. Show after show laughed openly about UGA fans whining about the series being in JAX...and how when Florida got Georgia in Athens, Spurrier hung a bunch on them.. I have no love for Georgia, but even I was feeling some pity for them listening to all this.<br/> <br/> That being said... sometimes you just gotta plant the flag...and not in that garbage post game way.<br/> <br/> Richt called his shot. He challenged his kids. He told them that not only are they going to get that first TD, but they are going to get a penalty and give Florida 15 yards....and it still won't matter, they will beat Florida..<br/> <br/> And you know what? He did it. <br/> <br/> He called his shot. You can whine about it all you want, but while fans are sniveling about his classless showboating, the ball is rattling off the left field bleachers while he circles the bases. He called it. <br/> <br/> Now you can deal with it by getting even or shutting up, but whining about it will get you nowhere.<br/> <br/> Hey, its not like anyone got castrated.<br/> <br/> <E></E></r>
What would you be saying, Corey, if a big fight had started because of the entire team rushing the endzone. All it would have taken was for some Gator to get in the way and get shoved (on purpose or accidentally) to the ground and it could have resulted in the entire Gator team running to protect their brother and the UGA guys reacting to an onslaught of Gators comming at them.....UM vs Fla Int'l part deux. It's a bit of a stretch of course, but still Richt set up the first condition for it to happen...
Calculated risk. Richt would have been crucified if a brawl had ensued. No brawl, his team fired up. Kind of like going for on 4th and 5 on your own 40 yard line. Genious if you make it, idiot if you don't. In retrospect it had the desired effect and no minuses.
Corey has an excellent point in how Richt motivated his players, but I come down firmly on the side of what Terry said two posts above this one. It could have been much, much worse except for the FL players keeping their cool. I always go back to Coach Holtz's "Act like you've been there." It may not be original from him, but that's where I first heard it.
no <t>If Florida's players didn't like UGa's players running on the field for the goofy celebration, they had the entire rest of the game to do something about it and put them in their place.<br/> <br/> They didn't.<br/> <br/> As Richt said himself, he didn't think the whole team would rush out onto the field. That's on him. He said he thought the 11 on the field would get the penalty.<br/> <br/> I am failing to see where Georgia's running on the field equates into fighting?<br/> <br/> I just, meaning not 60 seconds ago on Talkin Football on CSS, watched a replay of it again. You see the Georgia kids run out and then several stretch out their hands to keep them from moving into the pile on the play.. Then they waited for the RB and the pile to come undone.. Then they moved onto the celebration.<br/> <br/> Funny because Tommy Barnhardt just echoed what I said here. The #1 critique of Richt teams was that they didn't have the fire. And like me, he didn't really agree with the whole team coming out.. The tactic worked.<br/> <br/> There was a time, pre-Spurrier, that running up the score could have led to a fight.</t>
point taken <t>but we've been sitting thru punk moves made by team after team that get applauded by their fans for more than 30 years now.<br/> <br/> I just don't see how this is even in the same league as the other stuff I've seen over the years.<br/> <br/> Now we decide to put the brakes on this stuff?<br/> <br/> It was an orchestrated celebration. Lame as that may be, it worked. Florida had the chance to do something about it and didn't.<br/> <br/> As the SEC report just mentioned, Richt didn't get any favor from the officials for the rest of the game.. Another aspect I am sure he was able to work in his favor in the locker room to show the kids he was there man.</t>
Agreed......which is an indictment of our times in and of itself. My personal favorite celebration is handing the ball to the official in the end zone. I must be getting old.....